Specialty Nursing
After meeting the eligibility requirements to take the appropriate specialty certification examination and successfully passing the exam, you are awarded the Registered Nurse – Board Certified (RN-BC) credential. A few exceptions to the standard credential are listed below.
Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN)
Advanced practice nursing certifications at ANCC include clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and nurse practitioner (NP) specialties. Once an advanced practice nurse (NP or CNS) meets the requirements to take the appropriate certification examination and successfully passes the exam, the nurse is awarded a credential from the chart below.
| Acute Care Nurse Practitioner |
ACNP-BC |
| Adult Nurse Practitioner |
ANP-BC |
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner |
AGACNP-BC |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner |
AGPCNP-BC |
| Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner |
PMHNP-BC |
| Family Nurse Practitioner |
FNP-BC |
| Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner |
PMHNP-BC |
| Gerontological Nurse Practitioner |
GNP-BC |
| Pediatric Nurse Practitioner |
PNP-BC |
| School Nurse Practitioner (retired exam) |
SNP-BC |
| Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist |
AGCNS-BC |
| Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist |
ACNS-BC |
| Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist |
PMHCNS-BC |
| Child/Adolescent Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist |
PMHCNS-BC |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist Core (retired exam) |
CNS-BC |
| Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist |
GCNS-BC |
| Home Health Nursing Clinical Nurse Specialist (retired exam) |
HHCNS-BC |
| Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist |
PCNS-BC |
Public/Community Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
(alternate credential for Advanced Public Health Nursing) |
PHCNS-BC |
| Ambulatory Care Nursing |
RN-BC |
| Cardiac Rehabilitation Nursing (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| Cardiac-Vascular Nursing |
RN-BC |
| Certified Vascular Nurse (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| College Health Nursing (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| Community Health Nursing (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| General Nursing Practice (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| Gerontological Nursing |
RN-BC |
| High-Risk Perinatal Nursing (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| Home Health Nursing (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| Informatics Nursing |
RN-BC |
| Medical-Surgical Nursing |
RN-BC |
| Nurse Executive |
NE-BC |
| Nurse Executive, Advanced |
NEA-BC |
| Nursing Case Management |
RN-BC |
| Nursing Professional Development |
RN-BC |
| Pain Management Nursing |
RN-BC |
| Pediatric Nursing |
RN-BC |
| Perinatal Nursing (retired exam) |
RN-BC |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing |
RN-BC |
| Public Health Nursing, Advanced |
APHN-BC |
| School Nursing (retired exam) |
RN-BC |